Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ ” (Luke 15:1-2)

This passage could be described as classic Jesus. In these two verses, we find Jesus doing what Jesus does best in Luke’s gospel — loving the social outcast and offending the religious establishment. I often wonder why many of us in the church seem to do the opposite?

Calvary Apostolic Church, 1103 Eighth St., Carrollton, invites the public to help celebrate the church’s 56th anniversary and 24th Pastoral on Aug 17-18.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Elder Darrell Hale of Lapaz, Ind., will speak. At noon Saturday, Elder Scott Kerr Sr. of Canton, Ohio, will be featured. A meal will be served after each service. For more information, call (502) 732-5808.

Greetings in the Name of Christ. For my article this month I want to talk to you all about EDGE Outreach.

Since 2001, EDGE staff members and volunteers have been distributing and installing water treatment systems for use in developing communities. EDGE seeks to prevent waterborne illness with truly sustainable solutions by training local people, solving problems creatively in the field, and improving developing communities’ self-sufficiency.

God reprimands people who gossip, as the Bible says in I Timothy 5:13: “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”